If you own or manage a commercial facility, you know that running a commercial building is a business of its own. Every facility has its own set of books that have to be reviewed, budgeted, and reconciled throughout the year. And just like any other commercial enterprise, the bottom line - and keeping it in the black - is key to long-term success.

While it’s important to use common sense when handling day-to-day expenses, it’s just as important to effectively budget and forecast future spending so you can plan properly. Large capital expenditures - such as repairing or replacing a commercial HVAC system - can put a significant dent in your operating budget, especially if it comes up unexpectedly.

Why a planned maintenance program is so valuable

Incorporating a planned HVAC maintenance program into your building’s annual operating budget can offer three valuable benefits, all of which have an impact on both short-term and long-term control of expenses:

1. A predictability that lends itself to accurate budgeting
2. Longer expected equipment life span
3. Improved energy efficiency

Let’s see how a planned maintenance program accomplishes all this for your commercial building.

Predictable maintenance instead of emergency repairs

Commercial HVAC systems are mechanically and electronically complex, and with the increasingly common addition of building automation and analytics software, that trend isn’t slowing down. While that complexity lends itself to more potential issues, it also allows the modern system to be far more effective, efficient, and budget-friendly, as long as it’s properly maintained.

If your commercial HVAC system is working too hard due to faulty or poorly calibrated controls, or because routine maintenance issues like cluttered motor housings, clogged air filters, or rodent-chewed wires haven’t been properly cared for, it’s likely to need an emergency repair or expensive replacement far sooner than it should.

A system that is regularly maintained by qualified, expert HVAC technicians, on the other hand, should run smoothly for its entire expected lifespan, functioning properly without large, unexpected repair or replacement expenses being necessary.

Likewise, the maintenance schedule those technicians recommend and follow can serve as an excellent planning tool for future budgeting purposes. Since the standard monthly cost will likely remain consistent, preventive upgrades and replacements can be planned well in advance. 

Get the facility manager's guide to planned maintenance for Chicago buildings. 

Helps your system last longer

While no commercial HVAC system is expected to last forever, a properly maintained system can and should last for many years. Replacing the system is not an expense you want to have to handle every five or six years. It’s far less expensive and smarter to invest in planned maintenance so that such a large capital expenditure can be put off as long as practical and can be prepared for long before it becomes necessary.

If the system is not properly maintained - if it doesn’t receive the necessary cleaning, lubrication, and other routine care any mechanical system requires - it’s not only going to perform poorly after a short time, but it’s also going grind to a halt much sooner than it should.

Greater energy efficiency = lower operating costs

While planned maintenance is certain to provide long-term benefits through a longer system lifespan and fewer unexpected repairs, it also provides short-term savings by means of energy efficiency.

For every seal that’s allowing air or water to leak, every filter that needs cleaning or replacing, and every poorly calibrated sensor, your commercial HVAC unit is likely using too much energy to get the job done. These problems tend to snowball the longer they’re allowed to remain unfixed.

Following a planned maintenance program can resolve all three of these issues, lessening or eliminating expensive emergency repairs, extending the lifespan of the equipment, and boosting energy efficiency.

Are you interested in learning how a planned maintenance program can do the same for your Chicago, IL commercial building? To learn more about options for your unique facility, contact our expert team of HVAC professionals at Midwest Mechanical.